Many foods such as poultry, meat, fish and vegetables are coated with a light coating of flour or bread crumbs which on frying in oil develops into a characteristic crispy, brown-colored coating. However, the messiness involved in the preparation of fried foods, the ever-present danger of splattering oil, and the unfavorable dietary aspects associated with fried foods have led recently to development of coatings which attempt to impart a fried appearance to a foodstuff which is baked and with the appealing color, taste and texture associated with fried foods.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,512 by Mancuso et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,827 by Lee et al. both prepare a baked comestible with a fried texture and appearance. The Mancuso, et al. patent does this by providing a dye system which changes color during cooking, while the Lee, et al. patent provides a unique batter formulation and dry mix coating. While both these systems are effective, improvements would be desirable either in the simulation of the texture and mouthfeel characteristics of fried foods, or in the simplification of consumer preparation.
Accordingly, it is a feature of this invention to provide a baked coated comestible with the taste, texture and appearance of a fried coated comestible.
It is a further feature of this invention to provide a dry coating composition which entails easy preparation for the consumer.
It is still a further feature of this invention to provide a baked coated comestible with a coating having a crisp texture and taste, a uniform coloration and appearance, and good adhesion to the comestible surface as well as the taste, texture and appearance of a fried coated comestible.